From what I've heard to-date, the rebels only operate in small groups up to a couple of hundred. If correct, 150 professional soldiers with modern commo and air support should automatically be the toughest gang on the block. They just have to be careful going into larger built up areas. No more Mogadishus please.

During the four-month training period, the Marines and sailors conducted realistic training, such as specialized training in foreign weapons with Tier 1 Group, advanced driving techniques and military operations in urban terrain training.

Special Operations Training Group trained and evaluated Special-Purpose MAGTF on predeployment requirements such as noncombatant evacuation operations, humanitarian assistance, non-lethal weapons training and a variety of air and ground exercises at Camp Lejeune.

Does this sound like 150 combat troops to you?

It also does not say were in Africa the unit is going. Called up and then a four month training cycle doesn't sound like it is planned for Mali.

__________________"Ask not what your country can do for you"

Sorry!! I didn't go to PC shool.

It always happens. When you give these little people power, it goes to their head like strong drink.

No, it sounds like a nice sanitized press release. Historically the French have been a little better than the US at keeping low key operations, well "low key".

The fact that there are troops in contact this week indicates someone has been doing prep on the ground for several weeks at the very least. So it would appear that someone has been doing more than just planning for 'humanitarian assistance' in Mali.

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Any metaphor will tear if stretched over too much reality.

No, it sounds like a nice sanitized press release. Historically the French have been a little better than the US at keeping low key operations, well "low key".

The fact that there are troops in contact this week indicates someone has been doing prep on the ground for several weeks at the very least. So it would appear that someonehas been doing more than just planning for 'humanitarian assistance' in Mali.

It still doesn't say were in Africa and one thing the USMC is not known for is low key press releases. Low key is no press releases.

That someone would be the French. Mali, Chad, Senegal were all French and they never really left. Think Vietnam, did the French ever leave?

__________________"Ask not what your country can do for you"

Sorry!! I didn't go to PC shool.

It always happens. When you give these little people power, it goes to their head like strong drink.

Unfortunately in French,but a really great source on shape of Mali army (did you know they have a Camel corps?),their armaments,recent French troops interventions and other stuff is being uploaded daily.

Author is Laurent Touchard,who also created highly useful OOB of Libyan rebels two years ago.

It's better to attack now, before the fanatics start to spread. As some other member spoke of: le probleme avec les cons c'est qu'ils ne se fatiguent jamais. Translation the problem with is that they never get tired.

I have been ridiculed in forums in Israel for pointing out that the real threat to Israel is not the stupid Hezbollah or Iran but the growing menace of the al-Qaeda, Salafist and Taleban extremists. Iran at least has some organized government. They are a bit nuts and are a dictatorship, but the danger is the Sunni extremists.

www.abc.es has a nice article on this. It is written in Spanish, but there should be translating programs if you do not understand it.

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When looking for the reason why things go wrong, never rule out stupidity, Murphy's Law Nº 8
Those who do not remember history are doomed to repeat it. George Santayana
"Ach du schwein" a German parrot captured at Bukoba GEA the only prisoner taken

The battle for control of northern Mali appears to be drawing nearer to the capital, Bamako, as a growing alliance of international forces continued to attack Islamist strongholds. Banamba, a town only 90 miles (145km) from Bamako, was put on alert after jihadists were reportedly seen in the area. The Malian army was reported to have deployed 100 soldiers to the town, with reinforcements on the way.

An official in Banamba told Associated Press yesterday that reports had been received of rebels leaving Diabaly for Banamba. "We don't have a [military] base here, we have no defences. So the military has come to secure the town," he said. "From Monday to today, no jihadists have entered our town. But there are reports that a column [of rebel vehicles] was seen heading toward us from Diabaly."

Air strikes since last Friday have failed to oust rebels from Konna, the town 430 miles from Bamako whose capture initially prompted the French intervention. There have been reports of fresh fighting between Islamists and Malian soldiers there. The French defence minister, Jean-Yves le Drian, said France had increased its number of troops in Mali to 1,400.

__________________"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts."— Bertrand Russell

Unfortunately in French,but a really great source on shape of Mali army (did you know they have a Camel corps?),their armaments,recent French troops interventions and other stuff is being uploaded daily.

Author is Laurent Touchard,who also created highly useful OOB of Libyan rebels two years ago.

Good link.
it's clear that this target was already identified by islamists and they "improvised" an attack because of the short timing. But the important fact is that they decided to attack in Algeria. It means that Algeria don't talk anymore with them. It means that their safety zone is now limited and also it means that some parts of the rebellion have decided not to follow the most extremist radicals.

Don't you think this heavy attack on Algerian soil was planed long ago ?

Most likely, perhaps they moved up the attack after the French intervention, or perhaps they knew the intervention was coming (surely they read the news and have their own sources too) and waited to present this as a response to the attack.

It has been planned but made without suffisant forces.
This attack, also, has to be seen in the context of concurences between different islamic radicals forces. This group was in decline for severals months in the area, and had to show that it was able to set some terrorist actions.